Initially Chavez dismissed the reports detailing the brutality as “irresponsible” and “totally superficial.” But the outspoken president, a retired military officer who has made a point of promoting human rights since taking office a year ago, has begun to soften his stand. He recently visited with the relatives of four suspected rioters who disappeared in the anarchy after the flooding. And on Jan. 23, during his weekly radio program “Alo Presidente!,” Chavez promised to investigate his government’s alleged abuses, indicating his willingness to “give my life” to protect Venezuelans from such violence. The political fallout has already prompted the chief of Venezuela’s state security agency to quit. And with the public prosecutor and a newly appointed human-rights ombudsman pursuing their own investigations, other resignations could easily follow.
